Dry, hot day in today's forecast, system off Florida's east coast ripe for tropical development

PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Today will be mostly sunny and hot with the heat index climbing as high as 105 in some areas, according to the National Weather Service forecast.

The high temp is Pascagoula is expected to top out at 91, but there could be pockets along the coast where the high reaches 95. The heat index is expected to climb above 100 late morning and throughout the afternoon.

Tuesday is expected to be another dry, hot day before the summertime afternoon showers are back in the forecast the rest of the week.

The National Hurricane Center continues to keep an eye on an area of low pressure off the east coast of Florida, about 210 miles out from St. Augustine. The system still has a 60 percent of development into a tropical depression in the next 48 hours.

It is expected to drift southwestward, then turn to the north and northeast.

Nationally, severe thunderstorms capable of producing very large hail, heavy rain, damaging winds and a few tornadoes are possible on Monday across portions of the Great Plains into the Great Lakes region. Flash flooding and river flooding are also possible in parts of the Midwest.